Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 316

As the Russia-Ukraine war enters its 316th day, we take a look at the main developments.

Here is the situation as it stands on Thursday, January 5, 2023:

Fighting

Heavy fighting around the largely ruined Ukrainian-held city of Bakhmut is likely to persist for the foreseeable future, according to a senior US administration official.
Putin has sent a warship towards the Atlantic and Indian oceans armed with new hypersonic Zircon cruise missiles, which he said were unique worldwide.
The Ukrainian foreign minister says that Patriot air defence systems being sent by the United States are expected to be deployed in Ukraine soon.
Russia says that mass production of new electronic warfare and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) systems will start in the next few months.
Ukraine says Russia had launched seven missile strikes, 18 air raids and more than 85 attacks from multiple-launch rocket systems in the past 24 hours on three cities – Kramatorsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson.

France’s President Emmanuel Macron told his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy his government would send light AMX-10 RC armoured combat vehicles to help in the war against Russia, a French official said after a phone call between the two leaders.
Russia says Italy is not an “honest broker” or possible mediator in peace talks with Ukraine due to its position against Moscow.
Ukraine’s efforts to increase grain exports are focused on faster inspections of ships rather than including more ports in the initiative, a senior Ukrainian official said.
A former Russian deputy prime minister has sent a piece of shrapnel from a French howitzer to Macron.